The short answer is yes!
Substitution is considered one of the most effective ways of treating opioid dependence, but you can increase your chances of successful treatment (i.e. controlled or no use of drugs, getting HIV, or overdose) by getting ongoing substitution therapy support, accessing social services, and especially seeing a counsellor and joining a support group.
This is because it’s important to address and deal with challenges that have come up or will continue to come up if they aren’t addressed. Challenges like
- depressive thoughts
- suicidal thoughts,
- anxiety or stress
- trauma
If you are not dealing with what may have led to the substance misuse in the first place, it’s much harder to stop using opioids.
- Learn about situations, things, or people that may be leading to your drug use (triggers)
- Help make coping strategies
- Help with tapering off
- Sharing your experiences can be therapeutic
- Listen empathetically to what you’re going through
- Provide a safe and confidential space
- Support you in your everyday life by helping you see different perspectives or giving you tools to help solve your problems
- Help make sense of past experiences to support your future
- You can talk about anything you like with your counsellor! Like how your day has been going, what are your plans for future, what you’re struggling with, or what has been going well for you; the sky is your limit!
- Counsellors use different strategies when working with clients, so some may focus more on what you are doing, while other may focus more on how you’re feeling or thinking
Where can I find counselling services?
- call 211: they can connect you to different services in BC
- Treatment centre providing substitution medications
- Family doctor
- You can also head over to our CBT module, while you wait to see a counsellor.